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Create an interim study committee to consider opportunities to reduce the risk of death and disease among smokers who will not quit smoking

INTERIM STUDY REPORT
Public Health Committee
Rep. John Enns, Chairman
Oklahoma House of Representatives
Interim Study 12-061, Rep. Doug Cox
September 11, 2012
Create an interim study committee to consider opportunities to reduce the risk of death and disease
among smokers who will not quit smoking.
Rep. Cox
• Introduced and provided background information about the purpose of the study.
Robert McCaffree, M.D.
Oklahoma Tobacco Research Center
President-Elect, Oklahoma State Medical Association
• Testified on the topic of harm reduction products.
o “We have effective, safe and proven ways to approach harm reduction.”
• Testified that Oklahoma leads the way in the percentage of teenagers using smokeless tobacco
products.
• “In my view, in my experience, the use of tobacco products, of perhaps less dangerous tobacco
products, is still not safe."
Danny McGoldrick
Vice President of Research, Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
• According to USA Today, after the federal tax increase of 2009, cigarette consumption
declined the most since 1932.
• Testified that smokeless tobacco is not a safe alternative to smoking.
• Advocated for the continued use of evidence-based strategies in Oklahoma, instead of engaging
in strategies that lack evidence.
• “Harm reduction strategies should be subjected to rigorous scientific scrutiny like we do with
any sort of drug or, now with the FDA law, new tobacco products.”
• Testified that there is little, if any, evidence that smokeless tobacco is effective at helping
smokers’ quit.
• Testified that harm reduction products are bridge products designed to perpetuate the
continuation of smoking.
• Provided testimony regarding the rigorous process of becoming an FDA approved smoking
cessation device.
• “Now is not the time, Oklahoma is not the place to promote smokeless tobacco as an
alternative to reducing tobacco use.”

INTERIM STUDY REPORT
Public Health Committee
Rep. John Enns, Chairman
Oklahoma House of Representatives
Interim Study 12-061, Rep. Doug Cox
September 11, 2012
Create an interim study committee to consider opportunities to reduce the risk of death and disease
among smokers who will not quit smoking.
Rep. Cox
• Introduced and provided background information about the purpose of the study.
Robert McCaffree, M.D.
Oklahoma Tobacco Research Center
President-Elect, Oklahoma State Medical Association
• Testified on the topic of harm reduction products.
o “We have effective, safe and proven ways to approach harm reduction.”
• Testified that Oklahoma leads the way in the percentage of teenagers using smokeless tobacco
products.
• “In my view, in my experience, the use of tobacco products, of perhaps less dangerous tobacco
products, is still not safe."
Danny McGoldrick
Vice President of Research, Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
• According to USA Today, after the federal tax increase of 2009, cigarette consumption
declined the most since 1932.
• Testified that smokeless tobacco is not a safe alternative to smoking.
• Advocated for the continued use of evidence-based strategies in Oklahoma, instead of engaging
in strategies that lack evidence.
• “Harm reduction strategies should be subjected to rigorous scientific scrutiny like we do with
any sort of drug or, now with the FDA law, new tobacco products.”
• Testified that there is little, if any, evidence that smokeless tobacco is effective at helping
smokers’ quit.
• Testified that harm reduction products are bridge products designed to perpetuate the
continuation of smoking.
• Provided testimony regarding the rigorous process of becoming an FDA approved smoking
cessation device.
• “Now is not the time, Oklahoma is not the place to promote smokeless tobacco as an
alternative to reducing tobacco use.”